IVAW 2015 National Convention

Join us September 4-7th (Labor Day weekend) for our National IVAW Convention. Convention will be held at Ocoee Retreat Center, in Tennessee tucked in the edge of the Appalachian Mountains.

We'll start the weekend off on Friday afternoon with fun activities and our event opening, Saturdays and Sunday we will dig into important organizational business, workshops, and building out our work together. The convention will end with breakfast on Monday before people head home or optionally stick around the mountains for a couple days of down-time.

If you are a new member who will be meeting others for the first time or old school IVAW looking for a family reunion, this convention will be an amazing opportunity. You don't want to miss it.

Registration:Registration is open to IVAW members, CSA members, IVAW allies, and IVAW & CSA family members. Registration is a sliding scale $100-$200 to cover the cost of the venue. Click here to register now.

Facilities:The facilities are bunk houses with about four twin beds per room, all meals and two on-site activities are included. Options for activities include white water rafting, rope courses, a water park, and more.

Travel:Chattanooga airport is the best option if you plan to fly, prices fluctuate a lot so start looking for flights early. IVAW will organize shuttles from the airport. Consider arranging a carpool with members in your area to mitigate travel expenses. That said, IVAW will have plenty of travel scholarships for those members that need assistance to attend. To receive a travel scholarship you must first register and be a member in good standing. Click here to apply for a travel stipend, deadline for travel funds is August 5th.

See you soon!

Friday, August 28, 2015 - 2:10pm

Food, housing, and 2 on site activities at the venue cost $168 per person. Cost or registration will be sliding scale of $100-$200 per attendee. Registration scholarships will be available on a very limited basis, we are asking people to pay the full registration price and apply for a travel scholarship if you need support attending.

We appreciate volunteers for healing and artistic activities as well as supporters, allies, and members of other organizations who want to attend however due to cost and security we require volunteers and guests to register as well.

Camilo Mejia is a former Staff Sergeant in the Florida National Guard and author of Road from Ar Ramadi (New Press).

He grew up in Nicaragua and Costa Rica before moving to the United States in 1994. He joined the military at age nineteen, serving as an infantryman in the active duty Army for three years before transferring to the Florida National Guard. Mejía spent five months in Iraq (his first combat tour after enlisting), then returned for a 2-week furlough to the US after which he did not return for duty. He was charged with desertion and sentenced to one year in prison for refusing to return to fight in Iraq. In March 2004 he turned himself in to the US military and filed an application for conscientious objector status.

Mejía said that he left his post in order to avoid duties that could be considered war crimes: more specifically, the abuse and torture of detainees. Mejía was court-martialed, and sentenced to one year confinement, reduction to the rank to Private E-1, and given a Bad Conduct Discharge. During his time in custody Amnesty International recognized Mejia as a prisoner of conscience and he was awarded by Refuse and Resist with its Courageous Resister Award. He currently lives in Miami.

Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson, Regional Organizer Ash-Lee is an Affrilachian (Black Appalachian), working class womyn, born and raised in Southeast Tennessee. She has extensive knowledge of the use of community organizing and is a former staff member of the Chicago SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) History Project. She is a past member of the United Students Against Sweatshops National Coordinating, Political Education and Collective Liberation Committees. Additionally, she is a long-time activist working around issues of community empowerment, environmental destruction, mountaintop removal mining, and environmental racism in central and southern Appalachia, and has served on the National Council of the Student Environmental Action Coalition. Ash-Lee is a former staff organizer for United Campus Workers, Tennessee’s only union for higher education employees, is a proud member and organizer with Concerned Citizens for Justice in Chattanooga, TN. Ash-Lee is a co-convenor of the Movement for Black Lives National Convening, is a board member of the Highlander Education and Research Center, and the Regional Organizer at Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide based in Atlanta, Georgia. - See more at: http://projectsouth.org/about/staff/#sthash.s0IDY8eO.dpuf

Becky Rafter,is the Executive Director of Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions, a grassroots, women-led organization working to end militarism and systemic violence, especially in relation to nuclear weapons and dirty energy industries. Georgia WAND builds capacity and solidarity for Black-led organizing in Shell Bluff, Georgia, where the community is addressing compounding health, water, and economic issues caused by radiological environmental contamination from a nuclear weapons plant, the Savannah River Site, and nuclear energy power Plant Vogtle, (which is currently expanding as the one of nation's first new nuke plants in 30 years). Georgia WAND also raises awareness about the high levels of Pentagon spending and other domestic, foreign, and corporate policy issues. Georgia WAND is transforming a culture of war & violence into one of unity & peace through education, civic engagement, grassroots organizing, leadership development, coalition work, and artistic actions.

Prior to joining Georgia WAND, Becky worked in social justice philanthropy at the Funding Exchange in New York City and the Fund for Southern Communities in Atlanta, where she organized donors and other foundations to invest more in the U.S. South, namely in organizations led by people most affected by racial, environmental, economic, political, gender, and other socio cultural injustices. She began her career by embracing a reproductive justice analysis as the Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia. She’s been involved with the NYC Participatory Budgeting Campaign, the 2007 United States Social Forum, Feminist Women’s Health Center,LEAD Atlanta,Project South, and Moral Monday GA; and she is an active member of Universidades Sin Fronteras, the Racial Justice Action Center and Showing Up for Racial Justice.

Becky has an MPA in International Policy and Nonprofit Management from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a BA in International Relations and Spanish from Agnes Scott College.

Elandria Williams is co-coordinator of the Education Team at the Highlander Research and Education Center and is on the Organizational Leadership Team. She helps coordinate the Appalachian Transition Fellowship Program and the Southern Grassroots Economies Project. She does other work around economics including helping create an Economics and Governance Curriculum and is a lifelong youth organizer/adult ally. She was born and raised in Powell, TN but her roots and family are in Florida and the Gulf Coast. She is on the board of the US Solidarity Economy Network and the Pedagogy of the Theater of the Oppressed.

What role do veterans' creative practices have in building a movement to survive and transform American militarism?

A panel by veterans from the emerging Veterans Artists' Movement that will explore what role veterans’ creative practices have in relationship to their individual survival and in building a movement to survive and transform American militarism.

The emerging Veteran Artists Movement is not an organization or project but a decentralized collection of veterans committed to using creative practices to transform themselves and a society rooted in militarism and dehumanization.

Workshop description: Thousands of veterans are processed through the criminal justice system each year. More and more of these veterans include those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of these veterans are not allowed veteran court options. The offenses committed by veterans range from domestic violence to capital murder, and involve both male and female veterans. Most of the offenses are situational – often influenced by economic, mental health, and substance abuse issues resulting from the ghosts of war. This workshop will inform Iraq and Afghanistan veterans of this problem in order to help reduce the number of veteran prosecutions.

According to section 16.1 of our bylaws, our 4 of the 5 things the board must report to the general membership on concern the state of our finances. Check out these reports and learn some good strategies for fundraising for your chapter or IVAW campaign.

Bylaws and Resolutions Discussion (45 minutes, Shawna Foster)

The board consulted with a nonprofit lawyer to update our bylaws so that our organizational practices are in compliance with nonprofit law where we are incorporated in Pennsylvania. As a result, there are a number of suggested changes from the board we have presented to membership. This is a time to review these proposals and get feedback before voting on the bylaws online on September 20th. Please note that immediately after this session there will be time to work on the bylaws if you have major revisions.

No resolutions have been received by the board, therefore, there will be no resolutions to vote upon by September 20th. However, we have an updated resolutions policy (please refer to in your packet) and any member may submit a resolution at anytime to start the process of a membership vote. If we have time left over from discussing the bylaws members may wish to work on the resolution areas proposed at the organizing summit: the illegality of the Iraq war, to support deported veterans, in support of whistleblowers, counter-recruitment, and to end the militarization of the police.

2:00-3:15 Afternoon session 3 (75 minutes)

Pre-vote bylaws workshop (Shawna Foster)

If you want to shape the bylaws before they are voted upon online September 20th, come to this workshop with your ideas! (Check out the proposed bylaw changes in your convention packet.)

IVAW Strategy update, BOD report, and BOD Candidates and Members Only (Shawna and Aaron)

Board Strategy Report (Aaron, 15)

Board Big Picture (Shawna, 15)

Shawna will report on the major areas that the board has worked on in the past year and outline key areas to work on in the upcoming year, as well as report on the required information as outlined in bylaws section 16.1

Board Candidates (Kelly, 45)

Please refer to the board candidate statements in your packet.

CivSol Members Session

5:15-6:00 Full group circle

7:30-9:00 Evening Plenary 2 (90 minutes)

IVAW Organizing: Saving the VA and De-Funding the War Machine (Divestment and VA Teams: Maggie)

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Sunday September 6th

9:45-11:00 Morning session 5 (75 minutes)

Drop the MIC! (Divestment Team: Maggie, Cassidy, Derek)

Workshop description: This workshop will focus on our campaign to generate public awareness and organize to weaken the military industrial complex (MIC).

Meike is the manager of The Clearing Barrel GI-Coffeehouse opening 2012 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, the centerpiece of U.S. military installations Europe. Since 2003 active in the Military Counseling Network only GI-Rights branch outside the US. Meike will give an overview of the past and current work. With changes in the german military and foreign politics suspending compulsory service there is a huge need of helping german veterans/active duty to organize. How can we strengthen our collaboration of many years to keep up the work with the US.military community overseas and how can IVAW be initial for organizing in germany?

A written timeline has been included in your convention packet with details of what has happened during the process

Feedback & Next Steps will be determined

Plenty of time to ask questions and give input to the process in small groups

CivSol Members Session

3:30-4:45 Afternoon Session 8 (75 minutes)

Accessing Veterans’ Benefits (Aaron Myracle, Robin Guthrie and Gina)

Global Citizenry How to use the principles of Critical Pedagogy in a global setting (Lisa Ling)

“The foundation of critical pedagogy has truly emerged from a variety of intellectual traditions yet what unites these traditions has been their uncompromising allegiance to the liberation of oppressed populations.” Paulo Freire

Workshop description: This workshop offers an explanation of how to use the principles of critical theoretical pedagogy to support long term reparations projects? These tools can be used to support individuals, groups, local and international communities in a cost effective results oriented way. The goal is to authentically support the needs of others without imposing our own wants and methods. This is not an easy task; we all have baggage. These principles allow supporters to see the problem from the perspective of the receiver rather than relying on preset notions of what is needed or how to maintain meaningful relationships and trust. This is a proven method of breaking down large problems into goals that can be accomplished by individuals and small groups across cultural lines without the need for extensive overhead. This approach lays a foundation that can be followed and built upon. The idea is to keep it simple and authentically offer support in a long term cost effective way. The tools presented are based on my hands on participation in Afghans 4 Tomorrow and the Bare Root Project which has been ongoing since 2005. This is the same approach that myself and Asma Eshen MA. (The project founder) presented and was well received at the University of Omaha Global Conference in October 2013.

Workshop description: Originally developed by ecologist Allan Savory as an agricultural planning tool, Holistic Management® provides a systems thinking approach to organizational planning and decision making. Holistic Management® helps organizations make decisions that more fully consider the social, economic and ecological context. Holistic Management® also provides feedback loops and monitoring criteria, ensuring that we make better decisions that move us steadily toward our desired quality of life and vision for a future society. In this workshop, we’ll discuss the Holistic Management® decision making process and how IVAW and Civ-Sol might improve our own organizational planning using this process. This workshop will be especially helpful for board members, staff, entrepreneurs, farmers, permaculturists and anyone interested in strategic planning.

5:15-6:00 Full group circle (Maggie +1-2)

7:30-9:00 Evening Plenary 3 (90 minutes)

Celebrate People's History: Post-9/11 resistance to war within the military & veteran communities (Kelly Dougherty and Aaron Hughes)

Plenary description: Stories are how we make sense of ourselves and our world. This workshop will focus on the importance of telling the stories of those who have and continue to resist U.S. war and militarism with a focus on members of IVAW. We’ll discuss current and proposed projects to capture the unfolding history of IVAW and post-9/11 GI resistance. Come to this session to learn how to contribute stories and materials, or otherwise participate in the collection and documentation of our history. Specific projects that will be discussed are:

“Celebrate People’s History: Iraq Veterans Against the War - Ten Years of Fighting for Peace and Justice”. This IVAW ten-year anniversary art portfolio includes dozens of prints and writings commemorating the first 10 years of IVAW’s history. We’ll highlight ways the portfolio can be used including wheat pasting, teach-ins, art shows, and fundraising.

IVAW archive collaboration with Brooklyn. We’ll explore what an IVAW archive will look like. Archives are thought of as collections of historical information, yet we are an active organization and our history continues to unfold. We’ll be discussing our current work on creating an IVAW archive with Booklyn, an artists and bookmakers organization based in Brooklyn, NY. We will be talking about the types of information that will be included and how members can submit materials to the archive.

Post-9/11 GI resistance oral history project. Telling our stories isn’t only important for us personally, but shapes how others now and in the future will understand this era of U.S. wars and militarism and resistance (or lack of resistance) to them. We’ll be discussing oral histories with the goal of having IVAW members commit to gathering histories of GI resistance for inclusion in both IVAW’s archives and the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress.

How does IVAW get and spend its money? How to expand capacity for your chapter. Discuss budget and financials (Lisa Ling) Give fundraising report (Siri Margerin)

Jim Driscoll on Vets for Vets peer support program

Ryan Holleran on Deported Veterans

Maggie Martin: Organizing Skill-Share

Facilities:The facilities are bunk houses with about four twin beds per room, all meals and two on-site activities are included. Options for activities include white water rafting, rope courses, a water park, and more.

Travel:Chattanooga airport is the best option if you plan to fly, prices fluctuate a lot so start looking for flights early. IVAW will plan to organize shuttle from the airport. Consider arranging a carpool with members in your area to mitigate travel expenses. Here is the map of carpools currently planned. Send your travel information to [email protected] to add yours.

Child care and activities will be available for some portions while children are invited to stay with their families/care-takers at other times. Please contact [email protected] to get the registration code for children and to register your child for care and activities.

Child Care Plan: Parents are invited to have their kids with them any time they like in any of the sessions. We will have child care during all the workshop sessions, evening, plenaries, and the open-mic on Friday night. We will not have child care during the full group sessions, meals, or Saturday and Sunday evening sessions but volunteers should feel free to offer and parents to ask for support during these times as well.